WARNING: If you take offense to the word broads, then this ain’t the post for you. Just surf on outta here.

I’ve compiled a list of my Top 5 Gutsy Broads. These are the women in film and/or television whom I consider to have spunk and they seem to always play strong minded, courageous women on screen.

1. Susan Sarandon - Love her to death! If a woman were to have balls, then Susan has them! Weak woman is not in her vocabulary. My favorite character of hers is the protective attorney, Regina “Reggie” Love, from the movie, The Client. And not only is she an actress, but she’s a political activist as well.

2. Angela Bassett - Rarely has she acted in a film that wasn’t a box office success. Her most famous role was that of the legendary singer, Tina Tuner, in What’s Love Got To Do With It. But it was her role of Reva Devereaux in Boyz N The Hood, that made me take notice. It took a lot for her character as a single mother to allow her son to live with his father to show him how to be a man. And although single mothers are raising sons on a daily basis without a father around, that scene stood out to me because Reva knew that she could raise her son alone, but realized that she doesn’t have to.

3. Sigourney Weaver - One word………Ripley. Was this a kick ass character or what? She was the blueprint for the Angelina Jolies of today. Never would there been a Laura Croft if it weren’t for Sigourney’s portrayal of Ripley in the Alien films. Sigourney is a graduate of Stanford and studied law and drama at Yale. So for as tough as she may be, she’s smart as well.

4. Alfre Woodard - Remember when she played Dr. Roxanne Turner on St. Elsewhere? That was my first time seeing a sista as a doctor who was a regular on a prime time television show. Seems like a lifetime ago. My favorite character that Alfre played was Carolyn Carmichael in the film, Crooklyn. Throughout the ups and downs, she strived to keep her family sane and together. And even as her character lay dying in a hospital bed from cancer, she held on long enough to give her daughter some words of wisdom before her passing.

5. Mariska Hargitay - As Olivia Benson on NBC’s Law and Order: SVU, she’s the epitome of gutsy. She plays the lead female detective of the Special Victims Unit that investigates major sex crimes. Sometimes she becomes a bit attached to the case and/or welfare of the victims, especially if the victim is a child, but it’s her caring spirit that draws you to her. There’s no way that you can work in that field and not have some compassion towards the victims. It’s that vulnerability that makes Mariska stand out on screen.